San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-05-05
WHEN TO EAT.
Observe Regular Hours Of Eating n xeu
Value Your Health.

Value Your Health.
When to eat Is quite as important %
what to eat, though not generally so
much discussed. Many who are partic-
ular to prepare their food according to
some hygicnic theory, eat at all hours
Of the day without thought Of injuring
their stomachs. Women who live alone,
or whose men folks are absent during
the day, fall into the habit Of eating
when they have time, or ''when they
feel like It, and when there Is pres
sure oil work often delay. their meals
two or three hours beyond the proper
time. An occasional irregularity Of
this kind may do no harm, but when
continued awhile the digestion becomes
disordered, and all sorts of stomach.
bowel and liver troubles follow as con-
sequence, to say nothing Of frequent
headaches. Whatever your work, re-
quire yourself to observe regular hours
for eating If you value your health.
The hours set apart for meals should
suit tho conveniences. business and liv-
ing habits of those who eat. II the
breakfast hour agrees with our hour for
work and rest, II matters little whether
IL is @, z, 8 or 0 o'clock, provided we
keep to the same hour every morning
The same applies to the dinner hour.
but at least live hours should elapse be.
tween meals to give the stomach time
to finish digestion and rest little
before beginning on new supply Of
food.
Equally II not more pernicious than
irregular meals, is the habit Of eating
between meals. Many of the ailments
to which children are subject can b.
readily traced to their continual ''piec
ing" between meals. Indeed, children
are sometimes "p!eced" to death. The
frequent supplies Of food disturb the
process of digestion, prolonging Il
greatly, so that the stomach is constantly
at work. The whole digestive appar
atus is weakened thereby, and the foun
dations laid for dyspepsia and othei
disorders.
In addition to this injury, the chile
who "pieces" soon loses his relish fol
wholesome, nutritious food Having
eaten bread and molasses, cake or pie
as may be an hour or two before din
ner, he comes to the table without an
appetite, rejects plain, substantial dishes
and waits for dessert. The fretfulness
skin eruptions, impovcrishment of the
body, and sickness from cakes and
pastry, need not be dwelt upon. Il
mothers would give their children thai
best of inheritance, good health, they
must resolutely abolish the 'piecing"
system.
If child refuses to eat at one meal
let him wait until the next. Do no!
attempt to coax or compel him to eat
If he Is not hungry, his stomach doe,
not require food, and Is better without
II he refuses from pettishness or OBJ
stinacy, waiting Is good discipline. Reg
ular meals, plain, wholesome food, ani
nothing between times, should be the
rule. It may seem hard to refuse
child when he complains of hunger, bul
his health should be the first consider
alton, and after regular habits are oncs
established, there will be no furtheI
trouble.
The only allowable departure from
this rule 10 where child Is really un.
well in the morning, and therefore hai
no inclination to cat until some time
after breakfast. A small amount Of
easily digested food may then be given
sufficient to allay the pangs of hunger
but not enough to prevent the stomach
from being ready for meal at dinner
time.
/; There Is still another, though min0
objection to children eating between
meals. II is troublesome to have then
running to cupboard, scattering
crumbs and smearing themselves. til
annoying to have them-whimpering and
fussing at meal-time, pushing away
their potato and crying for sugar; and
nothing is more disagreeable than fol
children who go calling with thei
mothers to begin five minutes afte'
their arrival, MA, want something K
eat;" "Ma, ma, want piece"
Mothers, If you have no concern foi
your children's health, pray have lit
tie for their nners.-1ribuf'e aF
Farmer.